Who, What, When: Mark Haines & Tom Leighton established themselves as a duo in 1992 with the release of their first cd, “Foot To Floor (repeat on beat)”. They perform an original and traditional repertoire influenced by their Celtic and North American folk roots. Their engaging humour and personality has made them popular performers in theatres, festivals, concerts, and clubs. These Borealis Recording Artists have rambled along Canadian highways from Ontario to the Maritimes, into the mountains of New York, and across the seas to Britain, Sweden and Taiwan.

Their Sound: Mark’s voice “is a one of a kind”. Add Tom’s superb harmony and arranging skills, and the stories and images come vividly to life. These multi-instrumentalists combine the traditional “tug at your heart strings” sounds of the fiddle, accordion, guitar, bouzouki, and bodhran, with the “turn on your ears” new technology of synthesisers, tone generators and processors. Tom sometimes plays FOUR instruments AT ONCE; left hand pumping the accordion and bass, the right hand thumping the drum, while his feet deftly work the pedals of the keyboards. These two guys can create a HUGE sound.

Others say:

– “Gentlemen: Your Chicago area performances were nothing short of fantastic. Thanks for gracing us with your music”, Rich Warren, host of WFMT Radio – 98.7 FM’s folk music show (Sept. 04)
“Their enthusiasm and love of music is so encompassing and pervasive that the audience is swept up in a contagion of joy”. Lillian Wauthier,Acoustic Harvest Folk Club
– “A two man folk festival”, Grit Laskin,Borealis Records
– “Driving the crowd insane with pleasure!”, Chronicle Herald, Halifax
– “Absolutely the hit of the White Oak Folk Festival Last July!!” – Jim Marino, host of the Freewheeling Folk Show on 93.3 CFMU in Hamilton Ont. July 2003
– “I had the breath sucked right out of me by the fantastic musicianship of Mark Haines & Tom Leighton, they sound at times like a symphony…”, Nancy White, Toronto Sun, (and Canadian singer/songwriter icon).

Awards:

– Song of the Year, PEI Mus Awards ’02 for the title track from “Hand To Hand”